Columbia bank robbery suspect shot during pursuit in Cooper County

COLUMBIA — The suspect of a Columbia bank robbery has been hospitalized after a chase in Cooper County.

About 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Columbia Police Department responded to an alarm at Landmark Bank, 109 E. Nifong Blvd., according to a news release from the Police Department. After arriving, they determined there had been a robbery.

Witnesses saw a man leaving the bank on foot and getting into a black pickup truck, the release stated. The man then drove away from the area quickly.

About an hour later, the man was involved in a pursuit with Cooper County police, according to the release.

The suspect was stopped by a Cooper County deputy who tried to arrest him, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Paul Reinsch. In the process, the deputy experienced minor injuries to his face, but he was not taken to a hospital.

The man took off toward the woods, and the deputy shot him, Reinsch said. The man was then flown to University Hospital. His condition was unknown, according to the news release.